My first Sous Vide

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
Sous Vide fish prep

Fish prepped in the vacuum bags

I had a snarky comment at the top of my “Buy This” page about “no sous vide here” and Chef Ron Cooke called me on it during our interview at Querencia at Barton Creek. Sous vide is, he points out, a cooking method with great potential for institutions like his that need to provide a large customer base with meals of consistent quality. I realized I had to get rid of the attitude and try sous vide for myself.

SideKIC sous vide controller

My sous vide cooking settup

The principle of sous vide cooking is that the product together with its seasonings is immersed in water heated to the temperature desired for the finished dish; if you want to cook chicken to 160 degrees you will put it in a 160 degree water bath and leave it in until the food is completely heated through. This might take an hour or less for a fish fillet, or many hours for a roast. You can affect the taste of your finished dish by adding spices to the food, and also by leaving it in the bath for longer than the minimum cooking time. And you might finish the prep after the food is cooked by searing it in a sauté pan or with a blowtorch; this is the method used for sous vide hamburgers.

Sous Vide fish cooking

Fish in sous vide cooking setup

Of course, food simply immersed in a water bath would lose much of its flavor to the water, so the prep is vacuum sealed before cooking. (Sous Vide is French for “vacuum”.) Thus the requirements for sous vide cooking are: some kind of a vacuum system, a cooking vessel, a way to heat the water, and a way to keep the temperature consistent. Being interested in doing all this on the cheap I settled on the ICA Kitchen SideKIC
and a set of Ziploc Vacuum Bags. You can also spend a few hundred dollars on a Sous Vide Supreme home cooking system (or many thousands on a professional sous vide cooker) or, at the other end of the spectrum, hack together a system similar to the SideKIC for under $100.

SideKIC controller

The SideKIC controller (color is off; it’s white in real life)

I took some nice fresh flounder filets and rubbed them with some good olive oil then added a couple sprigs of thyme, a couple of bay leaves, and some lemon zest. It didn’t look like enough for dinner so I made a second prep with tilapia, sesame oil and five spice powder. Both were cooked at 125 degrees for about 30 minutes, then plated. (The flounder had thrown off some liquid in cooking, which I reduced and poured on top.)

The tilapia was so-so, but the flounder was magnificent. The flavorings permeated the flesh and every bite tasted like thyme, bay leaf and lemon. This ability to amp up the flavorings is one of the things chefs like about sous vide. Another is that food can be cooked to precisely the temperature where it is just the way you want it—no more burned on the outside, undercooked in the middle. This is supposed to be especially effective with burgers, so that’s what I’ll try next. Chef Cooke, looks like I’m a sous vide convert.

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Digesting the Fancy Food Show San Francisco 2013

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
Raw everywhere at FFS

Raw everywhere at Fancy Food 2013

I spent Monday and Tuesday of last week walking the aisles of the massive Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. It’s a funny show because you find heavily preserved and unsubtle “gifty” items (aimed at small gourmet retailers) alongside world class cheeses and charcuterie, often next to each other in the same aisle. I walked away with a full belly and a few inspirations which may show up here in future recipes and posts.

I always look for a trend at the FFS, and this year it was easy to spot: Raw. There were several places presenting outright raw chips and snacks (mostly pretty terrible, since they are designed for mass consumption and need to have a long shelf life) and many others selling crackers and cookies in odd shapes that are designed to “look” raw.

Hudson Valley Foie Gras

Feeding frenzy at Foie Gras booth (note absence of samples on trays

The most popular booth was also easy to identify: Hudson Valley Foie Gras, where they were giving out samples of seared FG which is now banned in California. Most interesting concept (to me anyway): Cup4Cup, a gluten-free flour that is designed to be used exactly like regular flour in baking and pizza dough recipes (their bread flour is still in the works). Also of interest: Umami in a Tube, a Nobu Matsuhisa concept; they’re sending me a sample so I can do a taste test against “real” umami.

Burt My Fingers with PSY

Burnt My Fingers with K-pop star PSY (now a spokesman for Shin Lamyan noodles)

I am usually gone by Tuesday, but turns out that is the best day to visit because the aisles are less crowded and the samples more generous and the vendors have time to talk with you. I got to spend time with Nicky Giusto from Central Milling and friends from Fra’mani which makes one great sausage after another.

A special shout out to the folks at Atalanta, a purveyor of pickled vegetables which put out plates so you could build your own antipasto tray… a godsend to a traveler who arrived hungry at the show after a long morning spent on the plane. Your anchovies and stuffed peppers are delicious and in future I will seek out your products whenever I shop. Also, ItalFoods which didn’t have plates but did offer giant artichokes on the stem. (But alas, no giant caper berries… whatever happened to them?)

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Recipe: Real Texas Chili

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
A bowl of red chili, Texas style

A Bowl of Red with possible condiments

[Spoiler Alert: real Texas chili contains no beans.] Frank X. Tolbert was a columnist who worked with my father at the Dallas Morning News. Later he opened a chain of chili parlors and became a celebrity judge at chili cook-offs. This is a light modification of his original “Bowl of Red”. Serves 12.

Ingredients:
3-4 lbs beef chuck
3-4 T chili powder (see note)
1 t ground oregano
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, chopped
12 oz beer or other liquid
1 t Kosher salt
2 t masa harina
Cayenne pepper to taste
Additional chili powder to taste

Method: Chop the beef into small pieces “about the size of the top joint of your little finger”. Separate and reserve the fat. Sweat (render the fat) in a dutch oven or heavy pot over very low heat for about half an hour, till it throws off a good amount of oil. Discard the pieces of fat. Toast the chili powder, oregano, cumin powder and coriander powder in the oil till the chili powder begins to smoke. Immediately add the chopped beef and garlic; turn up the heat and sauté, stirring, until the meat is thoroughly seared, about 10 minutes. Add the beer and salt and bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer for at least 3 hours or until the beef is very tender. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, skim any congealed fat if you like, bring to a simmer, and taste. Add more chili powder, salt and cayenne as you like (I think the base recipe is undersalted). Continue cooking a couple more hours until the meat is falling apart. Add masa harina and cook ½ hour to thicken. (You can also use cornmeal or flour if masa flour isn’t available, but masa is recommended to provide a distinctive tamale-like taste.) Serve with tortillas, beans, and whatever you like in the way of condiments.

Note about chili powder: I start with 2 T of a mild chili powder (“New Mexico” or equivalent), 1 T of ancho or chipotle powder for a smokey/toasty taste, and a light teaspoon of cayenne for heat. If dried chili pods are available use those and reduce the chili powder accordingly.

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Institutional cuisine not an oxymoron at Austin’s Querencia

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
Tilly Keung, RN, and Executive Chef Ron Cooke of Querencia at Barton Creek

Tilly Keung, RN, and Executive Chef Ron Cooke of Querencia at Barton Creek

When my mother told me she loved the food at her new retirement home, I was concerned. She is on a salt-restricted diet, and treats dropped off by well-meaning neighbors have occasionally resulted in a trip to the ER.

Last month I got to try the food myself on a visit to Querencia at Barton Creek in Austin and she’s right, the food is very good. Everybody on the staff insisted it is made with “very little salt” so I asked for a meeting with Executive Chef Ron Cooke to see how he does it.

Chef Cooke told me he believes in using quality ingredients (he buys Certified Angus Beef and Niman Ranch pork, just like me) and preparing them in a way that allows the natural flavors to shine through. For example, fresh vegetables are often grilled to caramelize the natural sugars then finished in the oven. This provides a satisfying mouthfeel without adding anything but heat.

Herbs—he mentioned rosemary, thyme, chives, basil and black pepper—are used “to add flavors to mask the fact it’s not buried in salt.” Querencia even worked with R.L. Schreiber to develop a salt-free blend that’s “like Mrs. Dash, but just for us.” And he’s particularly proud of a soup base that has just 90 milligrams of sodium per serving (anything below 140 mg is considered low salt).

As a result, according to staff dietician Tilly Keung, salt intake averages 1900 milligrams per day—well below the USDA recommendation of 2300 per day and not that far above my mother’s allotment of 1600 milligrams; she’s able to stay in bounds through judicious choices and by eating breakfast in her residence.

During my several meals, a personal highlight was a chickpea curry for which Chef Cooke generously shared the recipe. I had it with unconventional sides of creamed spinach and red cabbage because they were available and I wanted to try as many things as I could. This is another challenge to the kitchen at Querencia: there are typically 4 entrees with an array of soups, salads and sides available and residents can mix and match them in any way they choose.

Ron Cooke has been the chef here for 4 years and was at the Austin Country Club before that; many of his former regulars are now his customers once again. He is humble and gracious about the need to provide a quality dining experience for people who, he points out, often don’t have any choice but to eat his cooking.

This means the kitchen at Querencia is no place for egotistical chefs. “You have to be a people person, have to take suggestions. Eat my French onion soup or go hungry doesn’t work here.” The customer focus also extends careful plating and presentation by a courteous and professional waitstaff who will pour you a glass of wine (but not two) with your dinner.

“It’s unlike anywhere I’ve ever worked—nothing like a freestanding restaurant. There you make your menu, build your flavor profiles. Here everybody chooses their sides. In a restaurant you are in charge. Here we come to your house and cook for you every day.”

All this goes to show that institutional cooking doesn’t have to be bland or boring as long as the kitchen takes its limitations as a creative challenge instead of an excuse. Chef Cooke and his staff are doing an exemplary job at Querencia. Thanks for taking such great care of my mom.

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Recipe: Chickpea Potato Curry a la Querencia

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
Chickpea Curry as served at Querencia at Barton Creek

Chickpea Curry as served at Querencia at Barton Creek

Thanks to Executive Chef Ron Cooke for sharing this low-salt recipe. Ro-Tel is a brand popular in Tex-Mex cooking which available on Amazon.com. To reduce the salt content even further, use salt-free stewed tomatoes and sample the finished product before adding any salt. 12 servings.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c low sodium vegetable broth
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
One 10-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes or diced tomatoes with chilies (he uses Ro-Tel Original)
6 baby (new) Yukon Gold potatoes (about 12 ounces), peeled and diced
1 medium onion, diced (about 2 c)
2 T olive oil
2 t minced ginger
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1/8 to 1/2 t cayenne pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)

Method: In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onions and ginger until the onion begins to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander and cayenne, stir to combine and cook for another minute or two. Add the remaining ingredients, stir to mix and simmer vigorously for about 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add salt to taste.

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Recipe: Texas Schoolburgers

Posted on January 5, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
Texas School Burger

Texas Schoolburger

[UPDATE: before trying the following recipe, please check this one and see if you like it better. I used the actual preparation method from DISD and it actually works pretty well.]

Along with fallout shelters and “duck and cover”, many students of the Dallas Independent School District from the Cold War era remember a cafeteria hamburger that was an eerie green in color yet oddly flavorful. Here is my tweak of a somewhat sanitized version provided by Lynn Forester, a DISD nutritionist. (Here is a probably more authentic version.) Makes about 15 schoolburgers.

Ingredients:
3 lb ground beef
1 c breadcrumbs made from stale white bread (as non-artisanal as you can find)
1-1/3 c lukewarm water
1 c potatoes, peeled and boiled till just tender then shredded with a grater
1 T Kosher salt
1/2 t pepper
1 c finely chopped onions
1/4 cup sweet relish
1/4 cup white vinegar
6 T (3/8 c) yellow mustard
Hamburger buns

Method: Soak the breadcrumbs in water until soft. Saute the ground beef till browned, pour off excess fat, add onions and cook till translucent. Mix in other ingredients and cook until heated through and well combined. The overall effect should be similar to a sloppy joe but a little firmer and with hamburger spices instead of tomato. Serve on hamburger buns.

NOTE: These burgers don’t come out as green as those from the 50s, probably because the original used relish with a food coloring that’s no longer approved. If you want to experiment, add a few drops of green food coloring to the relish before mixing in.

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Recipe: Magic Squares

Posted on December 30, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
Magic Squares

Magic Squares

4th of my holiday bakes, except it’s not so much a bake as an assemblage. Great to make with kids because it’s so easy. There are a couple of versions for magic squares on the EagleBrand.com website but I prefer this rendition from floydb of The Fresh Loaf. Makes approximately 24 squares.

Ingredients:
I stick unsalted butter
1 package (1/2 box) graham crackers
1 6-oz bag semisweet chocolate chips
1 c chopped walnuts
1 can (14-oz) Eagle Brand Condensed Milk
1 ½ c shredded coconut

Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt the butter in a 9×13 inch baking pan as the oven is heating up; remove the pan before it’s too hot too touch and be sure the butter is evenly distributed all over the bottom. Crumble the graham crackers into crumbs and press them into the butter to make the crust. (You can also put them in a food processer but it’s more fun and just as easy to do it by hand.) Make a layer of chocolate chips, then a layer of chopped walnuts, and pour the condensed milk over everything. Finish with a layer of shredded coconut. Cook 20 minutes or until coconut is toasted on top; remove from oven and cool in baking pan. When cool, cut into serving squares.

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Recipe: Fennel Pollen Shortbread

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
Fennel Pollen Shortbreads

Fennel Pollen Shortbreads

Third of my 3 holiday bakes. Buttery, salty, with a complex taste from the fennel pollen. Adapted from this recipe which in turn attributes it to Kir Jensen, operator of a Portland food truck. Makes about 4 dozen shortbreads.

Ingredients:
2 c all purpose flour
1/4 c finely ground cornmeal (corn flour)
1/2 t sea salt
8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c plus 1 T sugar
1 t finely grated lemon zest
1 3/4 teaspoons fennel pollen*
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
Sea salt for topping

Method: Thoroughly mix flour, cornmeal and salt in a bowl. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar until well-blended, about 1 minute. Scrape down bowl, add lemon zest, fennel pollen, and egg yolks one at a time, beating just to combine. Scrape down bowl. With mixer on low speed, add in dry ingredients and mix just to combine.

Transfer dough to a dry surface, form into a ball, and divide into half. Shape each half into a 12-inch log, then square off the sides by pressing the log into the work surface and rotating 90 degrees. Wrap each log completely in plastic wrap** and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours.

Heat oven to 350°F. Line two half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Cut each log crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Place shortbreads an inch apart on the parchment paper. Sprinkle tops with sea salt. Bake until barely toasted, about 20-25 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. (They will hardly color on top but the bottoms will brown slightly.) Let shortbreads cool on the sheet pans or transfer very carefully with a spatula to cooling racks. (They will be soft and delicate when they come out of the oven, but will become harder when they cool.) Keeps a week in a tightly sealed container.

Note: the original recipe rolled the shortbreads in superfine sugar before placing them in the sheet pans. I left it out because I wanted the fennel and salt flavors to be more prominent.

  • I baked this recipe specifically because I had some fennel pollen on hand. I suppose you could substitute a slightly larger volume of fennel seed; if you do that, grind it in a food processor so it doesn’t interfere with the smooth texture of the shortbreads.

** I’ve found it easier to do the final shaping after the dough is wrapped in plastic.

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Recipe: Christina Tosi’s Corn Cookies

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
Christina Tosi's Corn Cookies

Christina Tosi’s Corn Cookies

Second of my 3 holiday bakes. The lively Christina Tosi, pastry chef at Momofuku Milk Bar, has generously shared the recipe for her should-be-illegal corn cookies. (I suspect she actually uses even more butter than this, however.) Freeze dried corn is essential for the intensely corn-y taste; luckily you can buy it on Amazon. Makes about 12 5″ cookies.

Ingredients:
8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1 1/3 c all purpose flour
1/4 c finely ground cornmeal (corn flour)
2/3 c corn powder made from freeze dried corn
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1 1/2 t Kosher salt

Method: Grind the freeze dried corn kernels in a food processer equipped with the chopping blade; they will quickly turn into powder. Thoroughly mix the dry ingredients (flour, corn flour, corn powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in a bowl. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar by mixing on second speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients. Mix until well combined, about 1 minute. Use an ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup measure to portion out the dough onto a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Press the tops of the cookies flat using your palm or by pressing with another half sheet pan. Cover tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is very hard (Tosi says “1 hour, or up to 1 week”).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Reposition the cookies on the parchment paper so they are at least 4 inches apart; you may need to use a second pan or bake in two batches. Cook for 20 minutes. They will spread out and become brown on the edges but still yellow in the middle. If you peek at the bottoms they will be barely colored. (The cookies in my picture are actually a bit overdone, but I ate all the perfect ones.) Remove from oven and cool completely before handling. Will stay fresh for 5 days covered at room temperature, or up to a month in the freezer.

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A recipe (of sorts) for Snow’s beans

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Burnt My Fingers
Beans from Snow's BBQ

Slow cooked beans from Snow’s BBQ

After my previous post on the experience at Snow’s BBQ, I commented on my obsession with their beans. I was traveling so unable to try and replicate the recipe on my own. The smokey taste and perfect flavor balance was haunting me, so finally I shot off an email to Snow’s:

Hi, I was there on Saturday and I loved the meat as always but I want to talk about the beans. They really are fantastic. I took a cup with me with my to-go order and have been trying to figure out how you make them. Obviously all your trimmings go in there but what spices? Is there any ketchup? Mustard? Onion or garlic powder? Chili or paprika? And what kind of beans, and are they canned or dried?

The reply, which came back within minutes:

They are just dried sam,s beans with salt, bacon ends, and chili powder. Nothing measured!! Thanks Kerry.

By Sam’s he means Sam’s Club I presume. I’m not a member but I went on their website and all the big bags are pinto beans, so I’m betting that’s what he uses. And maybe the chili powder was picked up during the same visit… why not? Their website says they have Tone Chile Powder in a 20 ounce shaker and Tone Dark Chili Powder in a 5.5 pound plastic jar. Any guesses on which it is? Anybody want to stop by Snow’s (I’m gone from Texas for awhile) and tell me what’s on the shelf above the sink?

Anyway, the point is Kerry keeps it simple because he knows exactly what he wants and knows when he gets it.

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